1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the technical field of registering and/or detecting electromagnetic fields in aircraft.
When aircraft fly into electromagnetic fields for which their systems have not been qualified, the behaviour of these systems is unforeseeable. This is the case whenever aircraft approach powerful transmitters more closely than intended, or when they are intentionally subjected to such field intensities in the context of a military or terrorist threat scenario.
By means of an onboard sensor system which measures the field intensities that are present at the time and compares them with field intensities that have been deemed safe in the certification process, it becomes possible to overcome such restrictions in the use of the aircraft or to achieve additional safety for the aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
From the printed publication U.S. Pat. No. 7,218,123, it is, for example, known to register an electromagnetic threat in a limited frequency range. The system described uses a capacitive sensor with a protected amplifier unit. This sensor is only intended to detect electromagnetic processes, for example electromagnetic fields of antenna or lightning strikes.
Such a system is associated with disadvantages when used in aircraft, in particular in helicopters, in that the air crew does not know what electromagnetic environment they are operating in, in that mobile transmitters cannot be taken into account; in that in the case of military/terrorist attacks the aircrew cannot detect that they are threatened by electromagnetic weapons, e.g. high-power microwave weapons; and in that it is not possible to furnish proof of any problems due to electromagnetic radiation but that such problems can at best only be suspected.
Any registration by such a system is thus in no way adequate to furnish to the crew of the aircraft more detailed information about a threat.